Humza Yousaf becomes Scotland’s first Muslim leader

Humza Yousaf, the first Muslim leader of a major UK political party, faces an uphill battle to revive Scotland's drive for independence following the long tenure of his close ally Nicola Sturgeon. (AFP)
Humza Yousaf, the first Muslim leader of a major UK political party, faces an uphill battle to revive Scotland's drive for independence following the long tenure of his close ally Nicola Sturgeon. (AFP)
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Updated 27 March 2023

Humza Yousaf becomes Scotland’s first Muslim leader

Humza Yousaf, the first Muslim leader of a major UK political party, faces an uphill battle to bring Scotland independence
  • Glasgow-born Yousaf took oath in English and Urdu when first elected to Scottish Parliament in 2011
  • Yousaf vowed in victory speech Monday to deliver independence in this generation

EDINBURGH: Humza Yousaf, the first Muslim leader of a major UK political party, faces an uphill battle to revive Scotland’s drive for independence following the long tenure of his close ally Nicola Sturgeon.
The new and youngest Scottish National Party (SNP) leader, 37, says his own experience as an ethnic minority means he will fight to protect the rights of all minorities.
The Glasgow-born Yousaf took his oath in English and Urdu when he was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2011, before progressing to become the first Muslim to serve in the devolved government’s cabinet.
He has been hailed by his supporters as a polished communicator who can unite the party as support stagnates for the SNP’s central policy — independence for Scotland.
Despite the UK government’s opposition to a new referendum, and a Supreme Court setback, Yousaf vowed in his victory speech Monday to deliver independence in this generation.
And, as his wife and mother brushed away tears, he paid tribute to his paternal grandparents after they came to Scotland from Pakistan in the 1960s barely speaking English.
They would not have imagined “in their wildest dreams” that their future grandson would become the leader of their adopted homeland.
“We should all take pride in the fact that today we have sent a clear message: that your color of skin or indeed your faith is not a barrier to leading the country that we all call home,” Yousaf said.
He also vowed to be his own man as Scotland’s first minister. But far from running away from Sturgeon’s controversial record, he also says he will keep his experienced predecessor on “speed dial” for advice.
That has fed into critics’ portrayal of Yousaf as a political lightweight who will remain in thrall to Sturgeon’s camp.
At the same time, he is promising a more collegial style of leadership. “Mine would be less inner circle and more big tent,” he told LBC radio.
With the independence push stymied for now, following Sturgeon’s more than eight-year tenure as first minister, Yousaf takes over facing crises in health care and education under the SNP’s own watch in Scotland.
His record as Sturgeon’s minister for justice and health care was savaged on the campaign trail by his chief rival, Kate Forbes, and Yousaf must also heal a fractured party after its bruising leadership election.
Yousaf says he was toughened after facing racist abuse growing up in Glasgow, especially after the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
“I’ve definitely had tough times,” he recalled, reflecting on his time in politics.
“I’ve thought to myself, ‘goodness, is there more that I can take personally’ because I also come under a tremendous amount of abuse online and, unfortunately, sometimes face to face.”
Yousaf’s Pakistani-born father forged a successful career in Glasgow as an accountant. The new SNP leader’s mother was born into a South Asian family in Kenya.
Yousaf attended an exclusive private school in Glasgow, two years behind Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
He studied politics at Glasgow University, and worked in a call center before becoming an aide to Sturgeon’s predecessor as SNP leader and first minister, Alex Salmond.
Yousaf entered the Scottish cabinet in 2012, serving in various roles including justice, transport and most recently health.
He married former SNP worker Gail Lythgoe in 2010, but they divorced seven years later.
In 2021 he and his second wife Nadia El-Nakla launched a legal complaint against a nursery, accusing it of racial discrimination after it denied admission to their daughter.
The complaint was upheld by education inspectors but the couple have now dropped it, and the nursery denied the accusations.
He was accused of deliberately skipping a Scottish vote to legalize gay marriage in 2014, due to pressure from Muslim leaders.
Yousaf insisted he had a prior engagement, and contrasts his own record to Forbes’ religiously conservative views as a member of a Scottish evangelical church.
He says he will “always fight for the equal rights of others” and not legislate based on his own faith.
But one person’s constitutional position will not be protected in a Yousaf-led Scotland — that of King Charles III.
“I’ve been very clear, I’m a republican,” he told Scottish newspaper The National, calling for debate on whether Scotland should move to an elected head of state.


Indonesia hosts geopolitical rivals in multinational naval drills 

The Indonesian Navy hosts delegates from more than 30 countries in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
The Indonesian Navy hosts delegates from more than 30 countries in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
Updated 14 sec ago

Indonesia hosts geopolitical rivals in multinational naval drills 

The Indonesian Navy hosts delegates from more than 30 countries in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
  • 36 countries are participating in the 2023 Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo 
  • Naval drills can ‘contribute positively’ to regional security, peace, host Indonesia says 

JAKARTA: Indonesia launched on Monday a multilateral naval exercise attended by more than 30 countries, including US and China, amid rising geopolitical tension.

The Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo, which was first held in 2014, is on its fourth edition and will run until June 8 in waters off Makassar, South Sulawesi. This year’s Komodo drills will see participation from 36 countries, the Indonesian Navy said in a statement.

“This exercise aims to enhance diplomatic capabilities, international cooperation, strengthen relationships and build cooperation with friendly nations,” Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Mohammed Ali said during the opening ceremony.

In 2023, participating countries include the US, Australia, China, India, the UK, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and Russia. The last Komodo exercise took place in 2018 before suspensions over COVID-19.

“The participation of representatives from friendly navies demonstrates the importance of this activity in the international agenda that can contribute positively to achieving regional security, stability and peace,” Ali said, adding that at least 17 foreign warships will join the drills.

The exercises also seek to “improve operational readiness and interoperability between the navy and maritime agencies in the region,” Ali said, especially to address “various threats other than military operation.”

He added: “This exercise is also expected to be a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience among participants to facilitate coordination in dealing with various crisis situations in an integrated manner.”

The Komodo exercises come as China and the US ramp up military diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region, staging more frequent war games with allies and partners around Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea.

China has conducted military exercises with Laos, Singapore and Cambodia this year, while the US launched just last week the first trilateral maritime exercises with Japan and the Philippines.

China-US relations have grown tense as friction between the world’s two largest economies arose from Beijing’s claims over Taiwan and its military activity in the resource-rich South China Sea. 


Bangladeshi women praise Saudi ‘special care’ for Hajj pilgrims

Bangladeshi women pilgrims have thanked Saudi authorities for treating them with care and kindness. (Supplied)
Bangladeshi women pilgrims have thanked Saudi authorities for treating them with care and kindness. (Supplied)
Updated 05 June 2023

Bangladeshi women praise Saudi ‘special care’ for Hajj pilgrims

Bangladeshi women pilgrims have thanked Saudi authorities for treating them with care and kindness. (Supplied)
  • Bangladesh is sending about 125,000 individuals for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, more than double the quota it received last year, when it was 60,000

DHAKA: Bangladeshi women pilgrims have lauded Hajj operations in Saudi Arabia, describing their experience so far as smooth while thanking authorities in the Kingdom for treating them with care and kindness. 

Bangladesh is sending about 125,000 individuals for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, more than double the quota it received last year, when it was 60,000. This year, over 35,000 pilgrims will be women. 

Hajj flights from the country commenced on May 21 and with Hajj expected to begin on June 26, over 57,000 Bangladeshis have already arrived in Saudi Arabia. 

As they continued their spiritual journey, Bangladeshi women told Arab News they were delighted by the thoughtful attention they received in the Kingdom.

For Eva Haque, such treatment was extended to her as soon as she landed in Saudi Arabia, when she found herself unwell. 

“I was hospitalized for one day. As a Hajj pilgrim, I received very special care from all the doctors and nurses at the hospital. They took care of me as though I were one of their closest family members,” the 43-year-old told Arab News. 

Following treatment, she felt fit to start following Hajj rituals. Haque, who is from Dhaka, believes the pilgrimage will be good for her well-being. 

“My health has not been good for the last two years, so I intended to perform the holy Hajj this year as I believe it will bring mental peace and heal my pains,” Haque said. 

“I will never forget the hospitality and cordial behaviors of the hospital staff. They made me feel like I was home. Words are not enough to convey my gratitude.” 

That Saudi hospitality was also felt by Umm Kulsum, a 64-year-old pilgrim from the Sylhet district in northeast Bangladesh.

When she became lost trying to reach her hotel last week, Kulsum said a Hajj volunteer in Madinah helped her find her way back.

“Seeing me in a puzzled situation suddenly, a volunteer came to help me. I was able to mention my hotel name and the volunteer assisted me to reach the hotel gate easily,” she told Arab News. “I pray from the core of my heart for the well-being of that young man.

“I am amazed to see the management here. It’s a herculean task, but people here with the management are so well-trained that everything is running very smoothly.”

In moments when women need specific care and attention, Shehnaz Begum said she saw Saudi authorities addressing the issues subtly, while also keeping the women’s comfort in mind. 

As she is traveling with her youngest son this time around, Begum said she might consider going solo for her future pilgrimage. 

“Maybe, in my next pilgrimage, I will travel alone as the Kingdom now allows single women to perform Hajj without their male guardians,” she said. 

Like many pilgrims who had waited years to perform Hajj, Begum found herself unable to hold back tears when she arrived in Madinah. 

“By the grace of the Almighty, I have landed in the Holy Land after waiting so many years,” Begum told Arab News. “Thousands of devotees from different countries of the world are walking side by side, offering prayers together. But everything remains peaceful here. It’s like a celestial moment on Earth.

“I must thank the Kingdom authorities for managing this great task in a smooth way.”


UK to house hundreds more migrants on barges, Sunak says

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak travels aboard Border Force cutter 'HMC Seeker' during a visit to the English Channel.
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak travels aboard Border Force cutter 'HMC Seeker' during a visit to the English Channel.
Updated 05 June 2023

UK to house hundreds more migrants on barges, Sunak says

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak travels aboard Border Force cutter 'HMC Seeker' during a visit to the English Channel.
  • Two more barges will house about 1,000 migrants, Sunak said, alongside one that’s set to be docked in Portland in southern England within the next two weeks

LONDON: The UK government will house hundreds more asylum-seekers on barges, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Monday, as he unveiled the latest migration figures that he said showed that his plans to crack down on small boat crossings on the English Channel are working.
Two more barges will house about 1,000 migrants, Sunak said, alongside one that’s set to be docked in Portland in southern England within the next two weeks. The move is meant to help save millions in taxpayers’ money currently spent to house asylum-seekers in hotels across the country.
Sunak told reporters that compared to the same time last year, the number of people making the dangerous sea crossing on small vessels from northern France to the southern English coast so far this year has decreased by a fifth. He suggested that the UK was doing better than other countries in Europe, where he said unauthorized migrant crossings have increased by a third over the same period.
Figures from the Home Office show that about 7,600 people were detected crossing the English Channel so far this year, compared with almost 10,000 last June. However, it is difficult to tell whether the decrease was linked to Sunak’s government’s policies or other factors such as weather conditions. The summer months typically see much higher numbers making the journey.
Sunak also said that the number of Albanian migrants arriving by small boats has fallen by almost 90 percent, and that a deal with Albania has seen 1,800 asylum-seekers turned back.
Many of the asylum-seekers arriving in the UK each year hail from conflict zones, including Afghanistan and Syria, though a large number come from Albania, which Sunak’s government describes as a “safe” country.
Sunak has made “Stop the Boats” his flagship policy since he took office in October. His government is pushing through a controversial migration bill that seeks to dramatically curb migrants’ ability to seek asylum in the UK Critics, including the UN refugee agency, have decried it as unethical and unworkable, and some say it breaks international law.


Afghan personnel hunted by Taliban denied UK sanctuary

Afghan personnel hunted by Taliban denied UK sanctuary
Updated 05 June 2023

Afghan personnel hunted by Taliban denied UK sanctuary

Afghan personnel hunted by Taliban denied UK sanctuary
  • Mechanics, chefs and laborers rejected by resettlement scheme for failing frontline role criteria
  • ‘We are all the same in the Taliban’s eyes,’ says former interpreter

LONDON: Afghans who worked for the UK military and who are at risk of Taliban reprisal attacks are being refused sanctuary in the UK, The Independent reported.

The revelations are part of an investigation by the newspaper into Britain’s relocation policies regarding Afghan military personnel who aided UK forces.

The Independent’s latest report found that former mechanics, laborers and chefs are being rejected by the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme because they fail to classify as having served in frontline roles alongside British troops. 
But that distinction is not recognized by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, with the former staff and contractors facing revenge attacks as a result of their work for British forces.
Tobias Ellwood MP, chair of the defense select committee, warned that the Taliban were still hunting Afghan workers who aided Western forces.
He said: “I don’t believe the Taliban share the same criteria. They gained access to databases of all local Afghans who were assisting ISAF forces and local Taliban continue to hunt them down for execution. Each case should be judged on its own merit.”
Some of the Afghans who aided the UK war effort and who fled to the UK in the wake of the Taliban takeover have appealed to the government to help their former colleagues still trapped in Afghanistan.
But Armed Forces Minister James Heappey has said that the government has no intention of expanding the ARAP criteria to include former non-frontline staff and contractors.
An Afghan mechanic who repaired troop carriers and armored vehicles during the conflict was rejected by the scheme last year, but is now appealing the decision through a judicial review.
He was left jobless when British troops pulled out of the country, and later worked for NGOs and as a contractor for private military forces.
But following the Taliban takeover, the man was forced into hiding, with his former colleagues demanding that the UK grant him sanctuary through the ARAP scheme.
A former British Army adviser and colleague of the mechanic told The Independent: “We are trying to do our best for him and his family but he is in a very bad situation. A lot of people are being disappeared and he is all the time hiding himself because many people know that he worked with the British Army.
“Lots of people in the same situation applied for ARAP. I don’t know why ARAP just rejected his case.”
The mechanic’s solicitor, Stephanie Alban, who is challenging the decision, said: “His life is in danger so I thought they would deal with it in days and not weeks. He is in hiding and he has been moving to avoid the Taliban.
“People in the local area would know that he worked for the British. He’s on their record so they will be looking for him and targeting him. It feels like these employees have just been forgotten. You shouldn’t have to do judicial reviews just to get a simple decision on a straightforward case.”
Other Afghan personnel denied by the ARAP scheme have said that they were still exposed to danger and risk despite not serving in frontline combat roles.
A former guard who protected a British Army camp said that he was fired at during a terrorist attack on the base, but was still rejected by the UK on account of his guard role.
Since the Western withdrawal, he has received threats from the Taliban as well as Daesh, which has a small presence in Afghanistan.
As a result, the former guard has moved his family to new homes around the country to avoid reprisal attacks.
In a review into his ARAP application, the man said: “Security at the camp was vital in order to ensure the safety of the British and other NATO soldiers in the camp.
“As such, the camp and the military operations carried out from the camp could not have functioned without the presence of security guards like myself.”
The Independent also spoke to relatives of personnel who have been rejected by ARAP, including former British Army chefs and laborers.
One interpreter said that his brother, a former laborer, had gone into hiding to avoid the Taliban after the Western withdrawal.
“He is in the same risk as me. It is not written on his face that he was a laborer and not an interpreter. We were all working with the British Army and we were all the same in the Taliban’s eyes.
“They have already killed one of our other brothers in front of our family home in 2020. He was working to help the American and British troops and they encountered him and shot him.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We owe a debt of gratitude to those interpreters and other staff eligible under the ARAP scheme who worked for, or with, UK forces in Afghanistan in exposed roles.
“Our absolute priority is supporting the movement of eligible people out of Afghanistan and, to date, we have relocated over 12,200 individuals to the UK under ARAP.


Sixty Afghan girls hospitalized after school poisoning

Sixty Afghan girls hospitalized after school poisoning
Updated 05 June 2023

Sixty Afghan girls hospitalized after school poisoning

Sixty Afghan girls hospitalized after school poisoning
  • The poisoning comes after intense scrutiny of girls’ education in the war-torn nation since the Taliban took over

KABUL: Around 60 Afghan girls were hospitalized after being poisoned at their school in northern Afghanistan, police said on Monday.
The poisoning, which targeted a girls’ school in the Afghan province of Sar-e Pol, comes after intense scrutiny of girls’ education in the war-torn nation since the Taliban took over and barred most teenage female students and after a wave of poison attacks on girls’ schools in neighboring Iran.
“Some unknown people entered a girls’ ... school in Sancharak District .. and poisoned the classes, when the girls come to classes they got poisoned,” said Den Mohammad Nazari, Sar-e-Pol’s police spokesperson, without elaborating on which substance was used or who was thought to be behind the incident.
Nazari said the girls had been taken to ho.spital but were in “good condition.” No one had been arrested.
In neighboring Iran, poisoning incidents at girls’ schools sickened an estimated 13,000 mostly female students since November.
During Afghanistan’s previous foreign-backed government, several poisoning attacks, including suspected gas attacks, on girls’ schools had taken place.
The Taliban administration has prevented most female students from attending highschool and university since taking over in 2021, sparking condemnation from international governments and many Afghans. Taliban authorities have kept primary schools open for girls, up until the age of around 12 and say they are in favor of female education under certain conditions.